Beer: Reviews & Ratings

The beer pours a beautiful golden color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is great! It has a solid pale malt scent along with a warming alcohol and fruity yeast ester aroma. There is a bit of citrus and an earthy undertone. The taste is exceptional. It has a very nice pale malt flavor that's warming. The yeast adds a ton of character. It has an awesome fruitiness with a dry earthy finish. It's also quite bitter. I'm guessing Chinook hops, because of the grapefruit character. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate/good carbonation. This is a very good drinking tripel. It's loaded with taste and aroma; a well brewed beer. (686 characters)

Spring 2008 bottle courtesy of gpcollen1 in a trade. Thanks for the opportunity and for introducing me to this brewery! 750 ml bottle poured into my snifter.

A- Body is a translucent golden yellow hue. Pours with a 2-3 finger white, frothy, yet creamy head. This head eventually fades completely leaving no lacing behind in the glass. When held up to the light I can see that the cloudiness of this brew is thick and uniform which is a big +.

S- My initial pour of this brew was while chilled and I honestly smelled nothing. The second pour...with the foam one could pick up a soft floral hop presence but nothing else...but when the head faded this brew showed its true colors. Its a wonderful soft balance of grapefruit, lemon zest, floral presence with an even softer sweet bready yeast background. I would label the scent slightly tart, but it is also bitter and sweet. Nothing is soft or overpowering.

T-Upfront are very soft flavors of floral hops and citrus-I pick up a little bit of lemon and grapefruit, with a slight yeast backbone. The finish is very soft as well with a bit of tart citrus, floral hop bitterness and flavor, sweet bready yeast, and a hint of phenols all balancing perfectly. These all disappear immediately nothing lingers on the palate...but after consuming most of this bottle there is a bit of alcohol heat lingering...not initially though.

M- Nice smooth light mouthfeel. The body is light and the highlight of the feel is smooth yeast but it also has a hint of alcohol in there.

D- As far as sheer drinkability goes...after at least 6 months the ABV is very subdues and barely noticeable...making this very deceptive. The flavors of this brew are very good-and very soft. If chilled its best to let this warm a bit before drinking-otherwise you are doing yourself a disservice. Its very good...but very soft...so I really didn't taste much during the first glass (which was slightly chilled). Another wonderful brew by Captain Lawrence! (1,974 characters)

Poured clear amber color with an average frothy white head that lasted with good lacing. Complex spicy citrus and yeasty aroma. Medium body with a smooth texture and soft carbonation. Medium citrus balanced flavor with a medium sweet finish of moderate to long duration with a small alcohol bite.

A - Pours with one finger of white foam on a perfectly clear, golden body. The head settles pretty quickly and leaves average lace on the glass.

S - Thick, bready malt with some fruity yeast notes of pineapple and pear as well as a touch of pepper and clove in the background.

T - Sweet, thick malt up front with some red apple and pear notes. A more spicy yeast character comes out in the middle with pepper and clove as well as a bit of lemongrass. Finishes with more clove and a hint of basil as well as bready malt and pear.

D - This is an unusually nice example of the style especially coming from an American brewery. The yeast character is as complex and appropriate as any Belgian brewed Tripel with plenty of thick malt to back it up. It is sufficiently dry to keep it drinkable and there is just a touch of herbal hop character in the background to balance things. (957 characters)

750ml to tulip. Purchased at the CdC release earlier in the year. Sampled 3/18/12.

A: Massive pop upon uncapping. The eggshell colored cap rises to 3 fingers and deflates slowly over a period of a few minutes. A frothy lump remains in the middle and a perfect web of lacing circles the entire glass. The body is golden orange and magnifyingly clear. Lots of carbonation to be seen. Lacing remains proficient.

S: Strong fruity notes of Fiji apple and Bartlett pear with a peachy influence in the background. A cracker-like grain provides the canvas for the hops and yeast to be the focal point. Somewhat rustic. There is a hint of soap and a metallic edge that I'm not fond of, but the rest of the aroma is great.

T: The flavor takes a sudden tropical turn and the peach is even more noticeable. Fruity with a complimenting dusty, rustic nature that works quite well. The hop selection is brilliant. As is the choice in yeast. I particularly enjoy how the estery profile has been reinvented with this Tripel.

M: Medium full with a thick, engaging mouthfeel. The effervescence from the first pour was on the light end, but a softer second pour corrected that problem easily. Sweet from font to middle with a drying backend. Wonderful again.

O: This beer really impressed me. An American Tripel?!?! Would have never guessed...but I LOVE the confidence! (1,355 characters)

Picked this up from the Finger Lakes Beverage center in Ithaca, NY as part of a binge resulting in extra baggage. Was excited to see that the Captain had started bottling ... (hopefully Six Points will follow suit soon).

A: Cloudy hay colored, with lots of thick head.

S: Sweet with citrus notes. Lots and lots of malts there.

T: Wonderful aromotic fruitiness up front, sweetness picks up in the middle and falls into a leafy, rich grassiness. Finish is citrusy and flowery.

F: Thick, rich, good as it opens up.

D: Yum! What is most striking about this beer is that although it changes drastically in flavor as the temperature rises (the peaks and valleys becoming more and more dramatic with each degree), it's damn damn tasty throughout the spectrum. Served it around 40 degrees (a bit cold), and drank routinely up through room temperature. Awesome beer the whole way up. (915 characters)

A- Big fluffy white head on a nice golden body. Takes a second pour to account for the big head.

S- Nice powerful hop blast compliments some sweet citrus fruit, mainly tangerines and lemons. Yeast has some nice spice to it as well.

T- Floral and fruity notes hit the tongue, replaced with a blast of hoppiness. Amarillo? I think I remember reading this is dry-hopped w/ Amarillo. A bit medicinal and earthy yeast notes come through in the finish. Agressively hopped, which does a good job at distinguishing this from others in the style.

M- Great lingering flavors, nice body, high carbonation but not out of place. Well put-together. More dry than sweet, which is what I've been looking for in a tripel.

D- Fairly high. Boozy, but very tasty. This one'll sneak up on you, as it's a pleasure to drink. I'll be buying more when I go back to NY. One of the better US tripels I've come across, avoids being too sweet or syrupy. I r-e-a-l-l-y like this beer, and was surprised at how high it scored when the dust settled. (1,079 characters)

I bought a bottle of this from the Gingerman in Manhattan, $20 at the bar, shared with my wife. The beer is a really light shade, pale gold of maybe 8 SRM, with a nice thick and light looking white foam. It smells much much better than I'd anticipated, definitely more hops than your usual tripel. Amarillo comes through more than any other hop, no surprise as it was dry-hopped with Amarillo. Outside of that there's a mild bret funk that I adored and my wife could do without. We both appreciated the hops though.

It tastes really good, if not exactly like a tripel. Not as spicy as I'm used to, but in its place there are nice hops flavors and a consistent barnyard funkiness with a light touch.

Adequately carbonated with a spritzy and peppery mouthfeel, this is a nice American-Belgian pale ale/tripel mix. (813 characters)

This is a beer that I have heard good things about. It pours a cloudy yellow/gold with a gigantic white frothy head that leaves good lacing. The smell is pungent with banana,cloves,citrus scents,wheat,and pepper. The taste is very crisp with a bitter hop and citrus lemon flavor. There are also lemon,pepper,banana,cloves,and some alcohol. The taste is very good and the alcohol is pretty tame,but the citrus flavor is fantastic. The m/f is light for a high octane brew which makes this a very good beer. It's my first from this brewery,but it won't be the last. (562 characters)

1 pint, 9.4 fl oz green bottle copped for a whopping $13.99 from Gary's in Madison... had seen other bottles from Captain Lawrence before, and their hefty price tags always caught my eye and had me wondering how an American-made Tripel could be so expensive...If looks are any indication of the high price, than I can certainly understand... One of the best appearances I have seen in the style, with a golden colored hue that included obvious carbonation and a gigantic foamy and frothy head with immense staying power... the head was absolutely huge and actually kept rising instead of shrinking and then just proceeded to sit on top of the golden-colored brew... The smell was very spritzy with citrus and lemon-like nuances... this has to be one of the most authentic Belgian-like brews I have come across or tried that have actually been American-made... the taste is very similar to many Fantome beers that I have sampled with an apparent champagne-like characteristic, and pepper-essence and less of the sweet, candied flavors that are in other depictions of the style.. Mouthfeel was very thick, rich, and creamy with a candied-flavor certainly noticeable... drinkability was good, and the alcohol is hard to detect behind an amazing conglomeration of rich flavors... it only took a hit due to the hefty 10% ABV... otherwise, an outstanding brew... Definitely recommended... (1,383 characters)

Newest Release? Sampled May 2008Quite well carbonated, the beer starts to foam a bit as soon as I pop the cap, I have enough time to careful pour some off into my 25cl tulip glass without losing any beer though. The careful pour yields four fingers of head that continues to rise another finger above the rim of my glass. The head is a light tan color that leaves ample lace on the sides of my glass and capsizes with interesting, structural textures. the beer is a clear copper color, but shows an almost brilliantly clear, gold color when held up to the light. The aroma is a mix of funk and fruity notes. Surprisingly the funk leans toward Brettanomyces like aromatics (sweat-laden leather notes), but the fruitiness is all Amarillo hops (apricot, pineapple, bergamot and even some kiwi notes). A nice, pale malt character adds a subtle influence to the nose with notes of fresh crushed pale malt, saltine crackers and a fresh grain note. The funkiness seems to die down with time, making me almost wonder if I ever noticed it in the first place.

Sweet tasting up front, which accentuates fruity, Amarillo driven flavors of apricot, lychee and pineapple. The carbonation has died down some, but still provides a prickly texture that can't quite overwhelm the soft creamy body that this brew has. A solid, yeast-derived funkiness resides here; it is not quite as noticeable as in most Tripels because of the ample hop character, but still plays a very important role. Funky notes of phenolic soaked, musty cotton balls are lightly noticed as are some light clove notes, an earthy-musty flavor, a touch of sweat-cured leather, . There is a touch of warming alcohol in the finish that at times adds a spiciness to the beer reminiscent of a mix of white pepper, ginger (that is also accented by the hops), clove and something I can only describe as fruity / estery / spicy higher alcohols.

My second pour is still excessively carbonated, this time I end up with a finger and a half thick crown of foam that floats above the rim of my glass. I am quite happy that a tulip glass allows me to get to the sweet nectar below, despite the almost six fingers of foam. With my nose newly tipped with a bit of foam, my first sip of this lightly orange-tinged and hazier beer lends a bit of rounded yeastiness to the flavor profile. This beer just keeps on getting better and better; I truly am a sucker for Amarillo & when combined with Belgian-inspired beers, well I am just about in heaven.

Despite being so hop driven, I really like how funky this beer is. I wouldn't guess that this was infected by Brettanomyces necessarily, but with the funk & excessive carbonation it certainly does a good job of faking a subtle Brett influence. I really like the over-the-top Amarillo character as compared to the first batch I had that was quite muted in its hoppiness comparatively. The hops do tend to drown out some of the complexity, but this is far more well integrated than my last experience & for that I am quite pleased. This is definitely exactly what I was hoping for when I heard that the brewer was increasing the dry hops in this beer. I liked this the first time around, but now I am really digging it.

Second Batch (definitely not first), Sampled September 20074/4.5/4/4/3.5, total 4.05Edited to fitThis batch was not as well integrated, and due to the fact that less Amarillo was used, was not nearly as aromatic and hoppy. It was still funky and good, though I much prefer the new batch (3,495 characters)

I opened the bottle of Xtra Gold on my coffee table, turned around to grab a glass and within a minute the carbonation had overflowed the bottle and onto the table. The bubbles continued to foam out and over the bottle and make a horrible mess of my coffee table.

The rest of the experience with the Xtra Gold was great! Very flavorful, complex, and delicious! The best Captain Lawrence brew I've had yet! (406 characters)

Appearance: pours a clear golden yellow color with a 2"+ merangue like fluffy head. The head lasts forever and streaming bubbles furiously race from the bottom of the glass.

Smell: spicy yeast, citrus, and sugar sweetness are easy to detect.

Taste: malt sweetness is nicely balanced with a grassy and earthy tone. Yeast, pepper, and lemon zest round it out, and alcohol is noticeable.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer. Very crisp at the start, crisp and a touch of dryness at the end. The aftertaste is long on the flavor components.

Drinkability: a wonderful version of a Belgian Tripel that pleases the tastebuds and puts a smile on your face. Noticeable alcohol knocks the score down a notch, but this is still quite easy to quaff. Great beer worth picking up. (774 characters)

Appearance: A nice and slightly hazy golden color with nice retention and a lot of white raindrops sticking to the bulbous part of the glass.

Smell: Definitely some nice initial earthiness and citrus, as if to say, yes, this is going to be hoppier than a blast of nuanced candi sugar-infused Belgian style. There's a hugely aromatic grapefruit and lemon component, almost lemon candy, but a puckering sense of bitter citrus that comes through, which, for the most part, overtakes the sweetness. But there's some good malt aromas in there, they're just subdued, and I think, working well to balance everything nicely.

Taste: Like the aroma, the stars here are the hops. Juicy, bitter, semi-sweet, they're both candied and hugely puckering, with enough sourness to make this lip-smacking. They make a point on the label to distinguish this as an American Tripel, and this is certainly so. But here, more than the aroma, is the evident caramel and earthy sweetness going on, after the hops kind of slide into the malt flavors almost effortlessly, which speaks to the quality and balance of the craftsmanship. A lingering, almost honeyed quality to the malts combines nicely for a long finish with the nuanced bitterness of the hops.

Mouthfeel: For a heavy-bodied brew, the use of concentrated carbonation limits any semblance of cloying that would otherwise be going on. Almost champagne-like, this thing gets better as it warms, and, not surprisingly, loses none of the carbonation that keeps contributing extremely well.

Drinkability: At around $10, this is a pretty awesome sipper. I feel like I may have recently had a brew like this -- not an overly hopped American version of the style, but something that's less heavy on the Belgian characteristics but still imparts enough to give full credit to the original style. Another stellar brew from a brewery that I continue to be impressed with. (1,950 characters)

taste: Really liked this one - great profile of tropical fruits - pineapple, mango, grapefruit, starfruit. White pepper, sweet yeast, corriander, clove and a light alcohol presence balance this one out. The hopping works well in this one - give me more

I received this treat from the great trader known as scthaden, thanks again Shannon. This one has been in the cellar for about 9 months now. The first pour of Xtra Gold is a perfectly clear apricot orange. The second pour became slightly hazy after the yeast was stirred up. Large carbonation bubbles explode to the surface throughout the entire glass. A slow pour produced a three finger cotton white head that fell to one finger after a couple minutes leaving thick sheet lacing down one glass and mountainous lacing down the other side.

I enjoy the smell of this American Tripel. The amarillo additions add a fruitiness not found in the style that I really enjoy. The first thing that hits me is a green apple crispness that leads into light brown sugar and a slightly overripe peach. The hops leave a very citric note behind that includes lemon, mandarin orange, and mild mango. This beer has a very interesting nose to it. I like the twist Captain Lawrence put on their tripel.

The flavor follows the aroma stride for stride but has a touch more pop. Caramel covered green apples lead the way but are quickly taken over by the fresh crisp snap of green apple. Ripe peach and a light brown sugar sweetness come along mid-palate with the amarillos finishing things off. Lemon, orange, and very mild mango come along on the finish and lingers for a short while. The flavors of this beer come together nicely and I'm very impressed with the hop additions, they add a great fruitiness.

The mouthfeel is right where it should be on this beer. The abv is high but the body is on the lighter side of medium with a nice airy mouthfeel. There are clean alcohol fumes rising through my nose and throat. The bitterness grows as I drink leaving a bit of numbness behind but never going to far to allow me to enjoy everything else this beer has going on.

This is a dangerous drinker. The abv rings in at 10% but Xtra Gold drinks a lot easier then that. They did a great job with the body and refreshing quality of this beer. The bottle is disappearing fast and I just want more.

Xtra Gold is my favorite from Captain Lawrence so far, after only 5 or 6 of their beers. I love the twist they put on this tripel with the amarillo addition. I'm going to try and get my hands on more of these bottles because they're damn good. Thanks again Shannon! (2,370 characters)

750ml bottle: This one pours a clear, straw yellow/golden color. There was a HUGE frothy white head on it that last a while and leaves some lacing. This one has a nice nose to it. Bready and yeasty up front. Some spices and fruits coming through also (lemon and pineapple). Nice silky feel on the tongue. There is a nice balance between the bitterness of the hops and the sweetness of the malts. Bready, yeasty, hint of pineapple and lemon to go with some spices. Drinks real easy. A nice tripel! (496 characters)

Bottle with Vintage dating (2006 version )
Belgian style large bottle, capped, pours cloudy light, lemony amber, raises an initially huge Duvelesque light tan head, showing fine retentive powers, dissolves very slowly to a ½ inch thick film, lively carbonation continues to send bubbles rising to the top, and leaving thick gobs of sticky lacing. Bold nose of citrus infused hops. This is simply a delicious brew, hoppy/American style tripel is a style made in heaven, at least for my taste buds. Notes here of fruit, pineapple, grapefruit, pears, grapes, all balanced by a healthy jolt of grainy, citric hops.Nutty, yeasty final pour puts this one over the top... Nice, nice, nice .Got an extra bottle this afternoon to help wash down the Thanksgiving Turkey and fixins. Drop what you are doing and get over to the good Captains to secure yourself a few bottles of this complex, well crafted elixir! (931 characters)

A 750ml bottle, one of at least a dozen I've had of this beer. This particular bottle was shared by psycohops. Thanks Bob! Poured into a matching pair of basic tulip glasses. The tripel appears a crystal clear rich golden yellow color with at least two fingers of fluffy, cloud-like off white foam. The nose and flavor consist of fresh citrus hops such as tangerine and orange, tropical fruits, melon, apples, spicy yeast, great sweet malt balance, a bit of black pepper, and some white grapes. An awesome, hoppy American tripel. The ale is just as good with some time in the cellar. A notch or two better than medium in body with ample carbonation. Surprisingly drinkable given the high ABV. Great stuff! (705 characters)

T: Flavor reminds me of skittles- it's bursting with fruity flavors like pinapple, lemon, and apricot. The sweetness is broken up with bready malts, spices, hops, and white pepper. Dry finish with boozy bite. Nicely balanced and a great Tripel.

M: Light body; high carbonation; creamy almost a buttery mouthfeel.

O: I really enjoyed this beer. I love the hop flavor balanced with all the traditional aspects of a tripel. I would definitely get this again and recommend this to others. (739 characters)

Pours a hazy gold with a three-finger white head that took a long time to recede to about 1/4". Great retention and decent lacing.

Smell is very complex: sweet honey, pineapple, some floral hops, some spice I can't quite pinpoint, some freshly baked bread, lemon zest, and a hint of alcohol.

Taste starts off with some dry, bitter floral hops, before a caramel and honey sweetness. Pineapple and lemon flavors lead into some spicy yeast balanced by sweet malts before a bitter, citrusy dry finish. Very complex.

Medium to full-bodied mouthfeel. Good balance between being sweet and dry.

An interesting American take on the style, and a good bottle to split with a friend. Very enjoyable. (750 characters)

Taste is very dry, fruity, crisp and bold tasting. Beer has a definite yeast taste, that is very spicy, and the malts provide nice slight creamy flavors. There is a definite hop bitterness on the finish, mineral like, and quite biting.

Mouthfeel is well done, very crisp, full, and well carbonated.

Drinkability is good. A very nice American take on the Belgian Tripel, I am glad I got to drink this one. Quite tasty, and well worth trying. (680 characters)

I love tripels, and was psyched to find this on tap at The Blind Tiger. The first couple of glasses I was poured weren't up to snuff (maybe the keg had been jostled?) and she ended up discounting the 12 oz. glass because it "wasn't cold enough" (it was perfect, probably about 55 F).

Served in a tulip glass, the beer was an opaque haze of gold. Bit of white head, but didn't leave much lace at all. Smelled extra hoppy for a tripel -- fruity (Cascade?) and a touch spicy (the yeast?). Delicious! The hops were dominant -- definitely an American take on the Belgian style -- but there was a bit of the yeasty bitter spice and a honeyish undertone. Full mouthfeel, and went down smooth for the style. Another feather in CL's cap! (731 characters)

A - Pours a hazy golden-yellow with a finger of frothy white head. The head fades down fairly slowly leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of sweet grainy malts, grapefruit and other citrus smells, lemon zest, Belgian yeast, spices, coriander, a bit of banana, and a hint of booze.

T - Starts off with a mix of grainy malts, grapefruit and orange hops, lemon zest, and some coriander. Through the middle, more Belgian yeast flavors come through with some other spices and a bit of banana alongside some fruity esters. The finish is a mix of sweet grainy malts, lemon zest, Belgian yeast, some spices, fruity esters, and a bit of booze.